RSS Feeds

Written by Sharon Housley

Lets face it as much as we all rely on email communications it is not really a reliable technology.

Why Should I care about RSS Feeds SPAM and viruses have wreaked havoc with a communication medium and reduced its value. Users have become admittedly paranoid about privacy issues and have begun "tuning out" and mentally filtering mail. What this means is that vendors really ought to begin exploring alternatives means of communciation in order to be heard. One of these alternatives is RSS or Really Simple Syndication.

While I'm not suggesting that you abandon email I think that many might want to consider RSS feeds as well. Because RSS Feeds are selected by end user spam is not an issue. RSS is created using XML, a very basic markup language. One that does not contain risks inherent to email.

Endusers select feeds they wish to view. Content providers select feeds they wish to display. By providing a RSS feed another site may pick up "news" about your software and post it. If email continues on a self destruct course RSS will become a new standard and an accepted viable alternative or more likely an email supplement. For now if you have a "technical" customer base RSS might be a "cool" thing to add.

What is the Fuss?

I am a young surfer, barely six-months old. But I already know that spamming is a sin, soon to be made a crime. However, as an adult who has been around for quite sometime, I really do not understand logic of it all.

What is wrong with sending decent emails to strangers? It’s because they have not asked for it. But are banners, pop-ups and pop-unders solicited? Yeah! How about TV advertising? You didn’t ask for them either, did you? These, mind you, are PAID for. Are you saying that paying someone to deliver emails will be acceptable? If not, what really is fuss?

Like everything else, fuss is about money. If it is OK for Tom, Dick, and Harry to advertise for himself, Where is advertising revenue going to come from? Well, as someone who has to put roof over head and food on table, I am beginning to see truth.

This thing has got to be stopped. How? Why not nail it with a bad sounding label. What do you have in mind? How about SPAM for “Self Publicity-Advertising Mess”? Not bad for a bad name. That would also give public something to spit from its lips. Like SPAMMING is bad for health, or whatever.